Gingrich: I Expect to be 'in the Race'

ATLANTA (AP) — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he expects to be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

Gingrich announced Thursday that he's exploring a run for president, launching a website to collect donations.

In an interview Friday night with Fox News Channel, Gingrich said "my expectation is that by the end of this exploratory process that we'll have an announcement and we'll be in the race."

He called the prospect "very daunting, but it's also very exciting."

Gingrich has filed paperwork with the Internal Revenue Service setting up a political organization — Newt Exploratory 2012 — that can accept contributions. He has not formed a formal exploratory committee — which would make him a legal candidate — with the Federal Election Commission.